Securing services in a networked computing environment

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented method includes: detecting, by a user device, an event that indicates a potential security compromise of the user device; determining, by the user device, a service accessible on the user device; sending, by the user device, a breach notification to a service provider corresponding to the service accessible on the user device; receiving, by the user device, a security profile from the service provider; and restricting, by the user device, access to the service provider by a client of the service provider on the user device until the security profile is satisfied by a user completing a security challenge defined in the security profile.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to security in computing systemsand, more particularly, to securing services in a cloud computingenvironment.

End users are able to access services on the cloud from multipledevices. This capability leads to usage scenarios such as: a user startsworking on a document from home on their laptop; the same user continuesediting the document using their tablet while commuting; and the sameuser completes the document using their work computer. An extension ofthis scenario exists in which multiple distinct users with one or moredistinct devices may access a same document (e.g., a shared document)through the same or several different cloud services. Such scenarios areenabled by a defining characteristic of the cloud computing model, i.e.,always connected interaction and immediate synchronization of data amongdevices. This is in contrast to the thin client computing model in whichall data is always maintained centrally and each device is a thin clientthat reads/writes data immediately (e.g., within a session).

It is common for a user to have multiple different cloud clientapplications on a single computer device, cloud client applicationsbeing applications that follow the cloud computing model with eachapplication typically connected to a respective cloud service provider.For example, a user's smartphone may include different cloud clientapplications such as: a file storage and synchronization applicationwith a first cloud service provider; a business social networkapplication with a second cloud service provider; and a note taking,organizing, and archiving app with a third cloud service provider.Unlike apps that use the thin client model, cloud client applications donot require the user to respond to repeated authentication challengesfor each session. Instead they rely on stored security profilesincluding authentication tokens in the device which are created afterthe first authentication challenge. However, since these cloud clientapplications do not require a user to authenticate for each session, allof the cloud client applications on a single user device may be subjectto a security breach if the user device itself is compromised.

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method includes:detecting, by a user device, an event that indicates a potentialsecurity compromise of the user device; determining, by the user device,a service accessible on the user device; sending, by the user device, abreach notification to a service provider corresponding to the serviceaccessible on the user device; receiving, by the user device, a securityprofile from the service provider; and restricting, by the user device,access to the service provider by a client of the service provider onthe user device until the security profile is satisfied by a usercompleting a security challenge defined in the security profile.

In an aspect of the invention, there is a computer program product forsecuring services in a networked computing environment. The computerprogram product includes a computer readable storage medium havingprogram instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions beingexecutable by a computer device to cause the computer device to:receive, at the computer device, a breach notification from a userdevice, wherein the user device includes a client that corresponds to aservice provided by the computer device, and the breach notificationindicates a potential security compromise of the user device; andtransmit, by the computer device, a security profile to the user device,wherein the security profile restricts access by the client to theservice provided by the computer device until after a user satisfies thesecurity profile.

In an aspect of the invention, a system includes: a CPU, a computerreadable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with acomputer device of a service provider; program instructions to receive,by the computer device, a breach notification from a user device,wherein the user device includes a client that corresponds to theservice provider, and the breach notification indicates a potentialsecurity compromise of the user device; program instructions toidentify, by the computer device, a plurality of user devices that havethe client; and program instructions to transmit, by the computerdevice, a respective security profile to each of the identifiedplurality of user devices. The program instructions are stored on thecomputer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via thecomputer readable memory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in the detailed description whichfollows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a cloud computing node according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary environment in accordance with aspects of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 shows a swim lane diagram of an exemplary implementation inaccordance with aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show flowcharts of exemplary methods in accordance withaspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally relates to security in computing systemsand, more particularly, to securing services in a cloud computingenvironment. According to aspects of the invention, a device havingplural different cloud client applications is configured to: detect anevent that indicates a potential security breach of the device, andincrease the security profile level of at least one of the pluraldifferent cloud client applications on the device based on the detectedevent. In embodiments, the security profile level of a cloud clientapplication on another device of the same user is also increased. Infurther embodiments, the security profile of a cloud client applicationon a device of a second user that shares content with the first user isalso increased. In this manner, implementations of the inventionproactively apply security profiles to cloud services on the device atwhich the potential security breach is detected, automatically extendthe security profile to devices and users that are related to affecteddevice, and allow each cloud service to apply their security profilesdifferently.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a computer readable storagemedium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereonfor causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the Internet using an InternetService Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes adetailed description on cloud computing, implementations of theteachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computingenvironment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable ofbeing implemented in conjunction with any other type of computingenvironment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic of an example of a cloud computingnode is shown. Cloud computing node 10 is only one example of a suitablecloud computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as tothe scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the inventiondescribed herein. Regardless, cloud computing node 10 is capable ofbeing implemented and/or performing any of the functionality set forthhereinabove.

In cloud computing node 10 there is a computer system/server 12, whichis operational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 12 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 12 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 12 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 1, computer system/server 12 in cloud computing node 10is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 12 may include, but are not limitedto, one or more processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28,and a bus 18 that couples various system components including systemmemory 28 to processor 16.

Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 12 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 12, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. Computer system/server 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a nonremovable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein.

Computer system/server 12 may also communicate with one or more externaldevices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.;one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computersystem/server 12; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system/server 12 to communicate with one or moreother computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output(I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system/server 12 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20communicates with the other components of computer system/server 12 viabus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 comprises one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 2 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 3, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 2) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 3 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and cloud services security 96.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the program/utility 40 may include one or moreprogram modules 42 that generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein, suchas the functionally of cloud services security 96 of FIG. 3.Specifically, the program modules 42 may receive user information,generate a service list based on the user information, and display userinformation and selected services for service provider personnel. Otherfunctionalities of the program modules 42 are described further hereinsuch that the program modules 42 are not limited to the functionsdescribed above. Moreover, it is noted that some of the modules 42 canbe implemented within the infrastructure shown in FIGS. 1-3. Forexample, the modules 42 may be implemented in the environment shown inFIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a networked computing environment 100 in accordance withaspects of the invention. The environment includes a user device 105,which may be any suitable user computing device such as a desktopcomputer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, smart watch,etc. The user device 105 may comprise one or more elements of thecomputer system 12 of FIG. 1 including, for example, a processor,memory, display, etc. In embodiments, a number of clients 110 a, 110 b,. . . , 110 n are installed on the user device 105. The clients 110 a-nmay comprise cloud client applications (also called cloud serviceclients) and may be program modules 42 as described with respect to FIG.1, for example. Each client 110 a-n may correspond to a respective cloudservice provider 115 a, 115 b, . . . , 115 n. For example, client 110 ais installed on the user device 105 as a client program of cloud serviceprovider 115 a, and provides services and/or functionality of the cloudservice provider 115 a at the user device 105. Similarly, client 110 bcorresponds to cloud service provider 115 b, and client 110 ncorresponds to cloud service provider 115 n. There may be any number “n”of clients and corresponding cloud service providers.

Each of the cloud service providers 115 a-b may comprise a computingdevice such as a server, which may comprise one or more elements of thecomputer system 12 of FIG. 1. The user device 105 may communicate witheach of the cloud service providers 115 a-b via a network 120, which maybe any suitable network such as a LAN, WAN, and the Internet. Inembodiments, the network 120 is a cloud network and the user device 105and each of the cloud service providers 115 a-n are nodes in the cloudnetwork, e.g., as shown in FIG. 2.

Still referring to FIG. 4, in embodiments the user device 105 includesan account registry 125 that stores pre-authentication tokens 130 a, 130b, . . . , 130 n associated with respective ones of the clients 110 a-n.For example, token 130 a is a data structure associated with client 110a and permits client 110 a to access cloud service provider 115 awithout requiring the user to re-authenticate every time the client 110a is invoked. The token 130 a may be provided to the user device 105 bythe cloud service provider 115 a during a previous login event and savedon the user device 105 for future access to the cloud service provider.For example, upon initiating the client 110 a at an earlier time, theuser may enter their authentication information (e.g., username,password, etc.) at the user device 105, and the user device 105 maytransmit the authentication information to the cloud service provider115 a. Upon receiving the user authentication information, the cloudservice provider 115 a may create the token 130 a (which may be a hashcode, for example) and transmit the token 130 a back to the user device105 where the token 130 a is stored in the account registry 125. In asubsequent invoking of the client 110 a at this user device 105, thetoken 130 a is used to authenticate the user, such that the user neednot re-enter their authentication information during the subsequentinvoking. The token 130 a is specific to the user device 105 and thecloud service provider 115 a, and the cloud service provider 115 a mayissue other tokens for other user devices of the same user. Tokens 130b-n may operate in a similar manner for clients 110 b-n, respectively.

The account registry 125 may also store end-points 132 a, 132 b, . . . ,132 n associated with respective ones of the clients 110 a-n. Inembodiments, each end-point 132 a-n comprises a data structure thatdefines information on how to access one of the cloud service providers115 a-n via the network 120. For example, end-point 132 a may define aURL, HTTP address, or socket connection for accessing cloud serviceprovider 115 a via the network 120, e.g., to establish communicationbetween the user device 105 and the cloud service provider 115 a whenthe client 110 a is invoked. End-points 132 b-n may operate in a similarmanner for cloud service providers 115 b-n, respectively.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, in accordance with aspects of theinvention, the environment 100 also includes other user devices 140 and145, each of which may be any suitable user computing device such as adesktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, smartphone, smartwatch, etc. In an illustrative example, user devices 105 and 140 bothbelong to a same user (e.g., a first user) and user device 145 belongsto a different user (e.g., a second user). For example, user device 105may be the first user's laptop computer, user device 140 may be thefirst user's desktop computer, and user device 145 may be the seconduser's laptop computer. Aspects of the invention are not limited to thisexemplary arrangement of user devices, and other arrangements may beused.

As shown in FIG. 4, the user device 140 may include clients 110 a′ and110 b′, which are the same as clients 110 a and 110 b respectively. Inthis manner, the first user may access the cloud service provider 115 avia either one (or both) of the user devices 105 or 140. Similarly, thefirst user may access the cloud service provider 115 b via either one(or both) of the user devices 105 or 140. In this example, user device145 includes client 110 b″, meaning that the second user can access thecloud service provider 115 b via the user device 145. Continuing thisexample, the first user and the second user may have shared content withthe cloud service provider 115 b. As but one possible example of sharedcontent, the cloud service provider 115 b may store a document that boththe first user and the second user can view and edit via the clients 110b′ and 110 b″, respectively.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the user device 105 includes a cloud securitymanager 150 in accordance with aspects of the invention. The manager 150may be a program module (e.g., program module 42 of FIG. 1) on the userdevice 105 that is programmed to perform one or more of the functionsdescribed herein including but not limited to: detect an event thatindicates a potential security compromise of the user device 105,identify all the cloud services available on the user device 105, andsend a security breach notification to each individual cloud serviceprovider 115 a-n based on the detected event.

In accordance with aspects of the invention, the manager 150 isconfigured to detect an event that indicates a potential securitycompromise of the user device 105. In embodiments, the manager 150communicates with the OS of the user device 105 to detect the event,which may include but is not limited to: exceeding a predeterminednumber of successive failed login attempts at the user device 105; alogin attempt from a location that is inconstant with historic locationsfor the user device 105; port scanning of the user device 105. Aspectsof the invention are not limited to these examples, and any desiredevent or combination of events may be defined as an event that indicatesa potential security compromise of the user device 105. Inimplementations, failed login attempts at the user device 105 refers tologin attempts of the user device 105 itself (e.g., entering a code orfingerprint to unlock the device 105) rather than login attempts at aparticular one of the clients 110 a-n.

According to aspects of the invention, upon detecting an event thatindicates a potential security compromise of the user device 105, themanager 150 is configured to identify all the cloud services availableon the user device 105 and send a security breach notification to eachindividual cloud service provider 115 a-n based on the detected event.In embodiments, the manager 150 accesses the account registry 125 todetermine which clients 110 a-n are installed on the device. For eachidentified client 110 a-n, the manager 150 may obtain (from the accountregistry 125) the respective end-point 132 a-n of the cloud serviceprovider 115 a-n and send a breach notification to each individual cloudservice provider 115 a-n using the respective end-points 132 a-n. Aseparate breach notification may be sent from the user device 105 toeach individual cloud service provider 115 a-n via the network 120, andmay contain information including but not limited to: identifier of theuser device 105 (e.g., a device ID); identifier of the user (e.g., username); timestamp of the detected event (e.g., date and time); and typeof the detected event (e.g., exceeding a predetermined number ofsuccessive failed login attempts).

Each cloud service provider 115 a-n, upon receiving the breachnotification from the user device 105, may take separate action toverify the security of the service. The actions may include, forexample: applying security action at the user device 105; applyingsecurity action at another device associated with the same user (e.g.,at user device 140); and applying security action at another deviceassociated with a different user that shares content with the first user(e.g., at user device 145).

In embodiments, applying security action at the user device 105 includesa cloud service provider transmitting a security profile to the userdevice 105, wherein the security profile must be complied with (i.e., bythe user completing a security challenge defined in the securityprofile) before the user is permitted to access the cloud serviceprovider via the corresponding client. A security profile may define anydesired security challenge, including but not limited to:re-authentication, answering a security question, completing abio-metric challenge (e.g., retina scan, touch ID, etc.), and performingmulti-factor authentication. For example, cloud service provider 115 amay send a security profile 147 a to the user device 105 that requiresthe user to re-authenticate, e.g., re-enter their user name and passwordin the client 110 a. As another example, cloud service provider 115 bmay send a security profile 147 b to the user device 105 that requiresthe user to authenticate from a second user device (e.g., authenticateusing client 110 b′ at user device 140) within a certain time period,e.g., thirty minutes. In yet another example, cloud service provider 115n may send a security profile 147 n to the user device 105 that requiresthe user to respond to a security question via the client 110 n at theuser device 105. Implementations of the invention are not limited tothese examples, and any desired types of security challenges may bedefined in a security profile.

Each of the security profiles 147 a-n may comprise a data structure thatis stored in the account registry 125 and may be different for eachcloud service provider 115 a-n. In embodiments, the security profile fora particular cloud service provider (e.g., cloud service provider 115 a)is applied the first time the user invokes the corresponding client(e.g., client 110 a) following the detecting the event that indicatesthe potential security compromise of the user device 105. In thismanner, following the detected event, the user is prevented fromaccessing a particular cloud service provider until such time as theuser satisfies the security profile that was issued by that cloudservice provider. Upon satisfying the security profile, the user isgranted normal access the particular cloud service provider (e.g., viathe corresponding client). Normal access in this context refers towhatever access is afforded by a particular service provider when a userlogs in via the corresponding client with no security restrictions.

In embodiments, applying a security action at another device associatedwith the same user includes a cloud service provider transmitting asecurity profile to the other device, wherein the security profile mustbe complied with before the user is permitted to access the cloudservice provider from the other device. For example, upon receiving thebreach notification from the user device 105, the cloud service provider115 a may determine that the same user has client 110 a′ installed onother user device 140, e.g., by accessing data that identifies devicesfor this user for this particular cloud service. The cloud serviceprovider 115 a may send a security profile 147 a′ to the other userdevice 140 that the user must comply with before the user is permittedto access the cloud service provider 115 a via client 110 a′ on theother user device 140. The security profile 147 a′ sent to the otheruser device 140 may be the same as or different than the securityprofile sent to the user device 105. For example, the cloud serviceprovider 115 a may send a more rigorous security profile 147 a (e.g.,re-authenticate and answer a security question) to the user device 105and a less rigorous security profile 147 a′ (e.g., re-authenticate only)to the other user device 140 since the detected event occurred at theuser device 105.

In embodiments, applying a security action at a device associated with asecond user that shares content with the first user includes a cloudservice provider transmitting a security profile to the device of thesecond user, wherein the security profile must be complied with beforethe second user is permitted to access the cloud service provider fromthe other device. The security profile on the device of the second usermay operate to restrict access to the cloud service by the second useruntil at least one of: a certain action is performed by the first user,and a certain action is performed by the second user. In bothembodiments, upon receiving the breach notification from the user device105, the cloud service provider 115 b determines that the first user ofdevice 105 and the second user of device 145 have shared content withthe cloud service provider 115 b. The shared content may comprise, forexample, a shared document or shared access to social media accounts ofthe first user and the second user. The shared content may be determinedin any suitable manner, such as by comparing the content of the separateaccounts of the first user and the second user with the cloud serviceprovider 115 b.

In the first embodiment, the cloud service provider 115 b restrictsaccess of the second user (e.g., access to the cloud service provider115 b via client 110 b″ on device 145) until such time as the first usercomplies with a security profile that is sent to the user device 105.For example, the security profile 147 b″ on the device 145 may restrictaccess to the cloud service provider 115 b from the device 145 untilafter the first user re-authenticates at the user device 105. In thesecond embodiment, the cloud service provider 115 b restricts access ofthe second user (e.g., access to the cloud service provider 115 b viaclient 110 b″ on device 145) until such time as the second user complieswith the security profile 147 b″ that is sent to the user device 145.For example, the security profile 147 b″ on the device 145 may restrictaccess to the cloud service provider 115 b from the device 145 untilafter the second user re-authenticates at their device 145. In bothembodiments, the restricted access at the device 145 of the second usermay be less restrictive than that applied at the user device 105 of thefirst user where the event was detected. For example, while waiting forthe first user to comply with their security profile, the second usermay be prevented from accessing only that content that is shared withthe first user, but would be provided access any content that is notshared with the first user.

According to aspects of the invention, the security profile on aparticular user device may be applied by a corresponding one of theclients 110 a-n or the manager 150 on the user device. For example, in afirst embodiment each client 110 a-n accesses the account registry 125to determine if there is a security profile that must be satisfiedbefore accessing a cloud service provider 115 a-n. In this embodiment,the client 110 a accesses the account registry 125 each time a userinvokes client 110 a to determine if a security profile has been issuedby cloud service provider 115 a. In the event that the account registry125 contains a security profile 147 a from cloud service provider 115 a,then the client 110 a applies the security profile 147 a before grantingthe user normal access to the cloud service provider 115 a. In the eventthat the account registry 125 does not contain a security profile fromcloud service provider 115 a, then the client 110 a may obtain thepre-authentication token 130 a and grant the user normal access to thecloud service provider 115 a. In this manner, the security profiles areapplied by the respective clients 110 a-n.

In another embodiment, the manager 150 acts as a proxy for communicationbetween the clients 110 a-n and the cloud service providers 115 a-n. Inthis embodiment, the manager 150 intercepts the request from a client(e.g., client 110 a) to a corresponding cloud service provider (e.g.,cloud service provider 115 a), and checks the account registry 125 todetermine if there is a security profile that must be satisfied beforeaccessing the corresponding cloud service provider (e.g., cloud serviceprovider 115 a). In the event the account registry 125 contains asecurity profile 147 a from the corresponding cloud service provider,then the manager 150 applies the security profile 147 a beforeestablishing access between the client and the cloud service provider.In this manner, the security profiles are applied by the manager 150. Ineither embodiment, a particular security profile may be deleted from theaccount registry 125 after the user complies with the requirements ofthe security profile.

FIG. 5 shows a swim lane diagram of an exemplary implementation inaccordance with aspects of the invention. The steps of FIG. 5 may beimplemented in the environment of FIG. 4, for example, and are describedusing reference numbers of elements depicted in FIG. 4.

At step 501, manager 150 on user device 105 detects an event thatindicates a potential security compromise of the user device 105. Atstep 502, the manager 150 identifies client 110 b on the user device 105(e.g., by accessing the account registry 125) and sends a breachnotification to the cloud service provider 115 b. Step 502 may includethe manager 150 identifying other clients available on the user device105 and sending a respective breach notification to each correspondingcloud service provider, e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 4.

At step 503.1, the cloud service provider 115 b sends a security profile147 b to the user device 105. The security profile 147 b prevents theuser from accessing the cloud service provider 115 b via the client 110b on the user device 105 until after the user satisfies the requirementof the security profile 147 b.

At step 503.2, the cloud service provider 115 b determines that userdevice 140 is associated with the same user as user device 105, andsends a security profile 147 b′ to the user device 140. The securityprofile 147 b′ on the user device 140 prevents the user from accessingthe cloud service provider 115 b via the client 110 b′ on the userdevice 140 until after the user satisfies the requirement of thesecurity profile 147 b′.

At step 503.3, the cloud service provider 115 b determines that userdevice 145 is associated with a second user that shares content with thefirst user of user device 105. At step 503.3, the cloud service provider115 b sends a security profile 147 b″ to the user device 145. Thesecurity profile 147 b″ on the user device 145 prevents the second userfrom accessing the cloud service provider 115 b (or from accessing onlythe shared content) via the client 110 b″ on the user device 145 untilafter the second user satisfies the requirement of the security profile147 b″.

At step 504, the first user invokes the client 110 b′ on user device140. The security profile 147 b′ is applied (e.g., by the client 110 b′or the manager 150 on the user device 140), and the first usersuccessfully responds to the security profile (e.g., re-authenticateswith the client 110 b′ on the user device 140). At step 505, the cloudservice provider 115 b accepts the user response to the security profile147 b′ and permits the user to access the cloud service provider 115 bvia the client 110 b′, e.g., by deleting the security profile 147 b′from the account registry of the user device 140.

At step 506, the second user invokes the client 110 b″ on user device145. The security profile 147 b″ is applied (e.g., by the client 110 b″or the manager 150 on the user device 145), and the second usersuccessfully responds to the security profile (e.g., re-authenticateswith the client 110 b″ on the user device 145). At step 507, the cloudservice provider 115 b accepts the second user response to the securityprofile 147 b″ and permits the second user to access the cloud serviceprovider 115 b via the client 110 b″, e.g., by deleting the securityprofile 147 b″ from the account registry of the user device 145.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show flowcharts of exemplary methods in accordance withaspects of the present invention. The steps of FIGS. 6 and 7 may beimplemented in the environment of FIG. 4, for example, and are describedusing reference numbers of elements depicted in FIG. 4. As noted above,the flowchart illustrates the architecture, functionality, and operationof possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer programproducts according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an exemplary sequence of steps that occur ata user device in accordance with aspects of the invention. At step 605,a user device (e.g., user device 105) detects an event that indicates apotential security compromise of the user device. In embodiments, theevent is detected by or communicated to a manager (e.g., manager 150)running on the user device.

At step 610, the user device determines all clients (e.g., clients 110a-n) that are installed on the user device. In embodiments, the managerdetermines the clients by accessing an account registry (e.g., accountregistry 125).

At step 615, the user device sends a respective breach notification toeach cloud service provider (e.g., cloud service providers 115 a-n)corresponding to the clients determined at step 610. The breachnotification may include data that defines the event that was detectedat step 605, including for example: identifier of the user device;identifier of the user; timestamp of the detected event; and type of thedetected event.

At step 620, the user device receives a security profile from at leastone of the cloud service providers to which the breach notificationswere sent at step 615. Each one of the cloud service providers mayprovide a different security profile. In embodiments, the manager storesthe security profiles in the account registry.

At step 625, the user device receives a user input to invoke one of theclients installed on the user device. Step 625 may include, for example,receiving input from a touch screen of a smartphone, receiving inputfrom a mouse of a desktop computer, or receiving input from a track padof a laptop computer.

At step 630, the user device determines whether a security profileexists for the client that was invoked at step 625. In a firstembodiment, the client that is being invoked accesses the accountregistry to determine whether a security profile is stored for thisclient. In a second embodiment, the manager accesses the accountregistry to determine whether a security profile is stored for thisclient.

In the event that a security profile is not stored for this client, thenat step 635 the user device provides the user with normal access to thecloud service provider (via the client) in a conventional manner. In theevent that a security profile is stored for this client, then at step640 the user device applies the security profile. In embodiments,applying the security profile includes preventing normal access to thecloud service provider until after the user satisfies the requirement(s)of the security profile. Applying the security profile may include, forexample, requiring the user to: re-authenticate, answer a securityquestion, complete a two-factor authentication, etc.

At step 645, the user device determines whether the security profile(applied at step 640) is satisfied. In the event that the securityprofile is not satisfied (e.g., the user does not successfully performthe requirements of the security profile), then at step 650 the user isdenied access to the cloud service provider. At step 655, the user maycontact the cloud service provider via a different channel (e.g., a helpdesk, technical support, etc.) to attempt to resolve the issue to regainnormal access to the cloud service provider. On the other hand, in theevent that the security profile is satisfied, then at step 660 the userdevice provides the user with normal access to the cloud serviceprovider (via the client) in a conventional manner. Step 660 may alsoinclude deleting the security profile for this cloud service providerfrom the account registry, while leaving any other security profilesintact.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of an exemplary sequence of steps that occur ata cloud service provider device (e.g., server) in accordance withaspects of the invention. At step 705, a cloud service provider device(e.g., a server associated with cloud service provider 115 a) receives abreach notification from a user device (e.g., user device 105). Thebreach notification may include data that defines an event that wasdetected the user device including for example: identifier of the userdevice; identifier of the user; timestamp of the detected event; andtype of the detected event.

At step 710, the cloud service provider device sends a security profileto the user device. In embodiments, the security profile is specific tothe user device and is configured to prevent the user from accessingservices of the cloud service provider via the user device (e.g., userdevice 105) until after the user successfully complies with one or morerequirements defined in the security profile. The one or morerequirements may include, for example, requiring the user to:re-authenticate, answer a security question, complete a two-factorauthentication, etc.

At step 715, the cloud service provider identifies another device (e.g.,device 140) that is associated with the same user as the user device(e.g., user device 105), and sends a security profile to this otherdevice. The other device identified at step 715 may include, forexample, a second computer device belonging to the same user, and onwhich is installed an instance of the client that corresponds to thiscloud service provider. In embodiments, the security profile is specificto the other device (e.g., device 140) and is configured to prevent theuser from accessing services of the cloud service provider via the otherdevice (e.g., device 140) until after the user successfully complieswith one or more requirements defined in the security profile. The oneor more requirements may include, for example, requiring the user to:re-authenticate, answer a security question, complete a two-factorauthentication, etc.

At step 720, the cloud service provider identifies another device (e.g.,device 145) that is associated with a second user that shares contentwith the first user of the user device (e.g., user device 105), andsends a security profile to this other device (e.g., device 145). Inembodiments, the security profile is specific to the other device (e.g.,device 145) and is configured to prevent the second user from accessingthe shared content via the other device (e.g., device 145) until afterone of the first user or the second user successfully complies with oneor more requirements defined in the security profile.

Aspects of the invention thus provide systems and methods that increasethe security profile of one or more cloud services associated with auser when the number of login attempts from a user device exceeds athreshold. Further, the new security profile may be automaticallyapplied on all of the user's devices that utilize the same cloudservice. Additionally, each provider may be allowed to apply theincreased security profile differently.

In accordance with aspects of the invention, there is a system andmethod for receiving, by a cloud service, notification from a firstdevice of a first user of the cloud service that suspicious activity isdetected (e.g., multiple failed login attempts within a predefined timeinterval); identifying, by the cloud service, a plurality of devicesthat have accessed the cloud service of the first user; and sending, bythe cloud service, first enhanced user security profiles (e.g.,requiring an answer to a security question) to each of the identifiedplurality of devices. In embodiments, when a second one of theidentified plurality of devices that have accessed the cloud service ofthe first user is associated with a second user (i.e., two users accessthe same cloud service account), then a second enhanced user securityprofile is sent to the second one of the identified plurality ofdevices.

In embodiments, a service provider, such as a Solution Integrator, couldoffer to perform the processes described herein. In this case, theservice provider can create, maintain, deploy, support, etc., thecomputer infrastructure that performs the process steps of the inventionfor one or more customers. These customers may be, for example, anybusiness that uses technology. In return, the service provider canreceive payment from the customer(s) under a subscription and/or feeagreement and/or the service provider can receive payment from the saleof advertising content to one or more third parties.

In still additional embodiments, the invention provides acomputer-implemented method, via a network. In this case, a computerinfrastructure, such as computer system/server 12 (FIG. 1), can beprovided and one or more systems for performing the processes of theinvention can be obtained (e.g., created, purchased, used, modified,etc.) and deployed to the computer infrastructure. To this extent, thedeployment of a system can comprise one or more of: (1) installingprogram code on a computing device, such as computer system/server 12(as shown in FIG. 1), from a computer-readable medium; (2) adding one ormore computing devices to the computer infrastructure; and (3)incorporating and/or modifying one or more existing systems of thecomputer infrastructure to enable the computer infrastructure to performthe processes of the invention.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for securing services by user devicesfrom a server which provides services from a service provider in anetworked computing environment, the system comprising: a CPU, acomputer readable memory, and a computer readable storage mediumassociated with the server; program instructions to receive, at theserver, a breach notification from a first user device, wherein thefirst user device includes a client that corresponds to a serviceprovided by the server; program instructions to transmit, by the server,a security profile to the first user device, wherein the securityprofile restricts access by the client to the service provided by theserver until after a user satisfies the security profile; programinstructions to determine a second user device that has a copy of theclient that is registered with the user; and program instructions totransmit a second security profile to the second user device, whereinthe second security profile is specific to the second user device andrestricts access by the copy of the client to the service provided bythe server until after the user satisfies the second security profile,wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readablestorage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readablememory.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a first user, andfurther comprising program instructions to determine a third user devicethat has a copy of the client that is registered with a second user,wherein the second user is different than the first user and sharescontent with the first user via the service.
 3. The system of claim 2,further comprising program instructions to transmit a third securityprofile to the third user device, wherein the third security profilerestricts access by the copy of the client to the service provided bythe server until after the second user satisfies the third securityprofile.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the breach notificationincludes an identifier of the first user.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the breach notification includes data that defines an identifierof the first user device.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the breachnotification includes a timestamp of an event associated with apotential security compromise of the first user device.
 7. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the breach notification includes a type of the event.8. The system of claim 1, wherein the security profile is specific tothe first user device, and the second security profile is specific tothe second user device, and is different from the security profile whichis specific to the first user device.
 9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe server is a cloud service provider, and the first and second userdevices and the cloud service provider are different nodes in a cloudnetwork.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the client is a cloudservice client that uses a pre-authentication token to provide access tothe cloud service provider when at least one of the first and secondusers invokes the cloud service client.
 11. The system of claim 6,wherein the event comprises exceeding a predefined number of failedlogin attempts on the user device.
 12. A system comprising: a CPU, acomputer readable memory, and a computer readable storage mediumassociated with a server; program instructions to receive a breachnotification from a first user device, wherein the first user deviceincludes a client that corresponds to a service provided by the server;program instructions to transmit a security profile to the first userdevice, wherein the security profile restricts access by the client tothe service provided by the server until after a user satisfies thesecurity profile; program instructions to determine a second user devicethat has a copy of the client that is registered with the user; andprogram instructions to transmit a second security profile to the seconduser device, wherein the second security profile is specific to thesecond user device and restricts access by the copy of the client to theservice provided by the server until after the user satisfies the secondsecurity profile, wherein the program instructions are stored on thecomputer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via thecomputer readable memory.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the useris a first user, and further comprising program instructions todetermine a third user device that has a copy of the client that isregistered with a second user, wherein the second user is different thanthe first user and shares content with the first user via the service.14. The system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions totransmit a third security profile to the third user device, wherein thethird security profile restricts access by the copy of the client to theservice provided by the server until after the second user satisfies thethird security profile.
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the breachnotification includes data that defines an identifier of the first userdevice.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the breach notificationincludes an identifier of the first user.
 17. The system of claim 12,wherein the breach notification includes a timestamp of an eventassociated with a potential security compromise of the first userdevice.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the breach notificationincludes a type of the event.